Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Dec 25: The much awaited Critical Care Ambulances for emergency services along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway are now likely to be made available by forthcoming March as the Government is going to speed up the things after inviting fresh tenders for fabrication of vehicles under National Ambulance Code within days.
After taking into consideration all the set guidelines and norms, the Directorate is all set to issue the notice inviting tender before ending of this month and to speed up the things, the maximum time duration for response of bidders is being reduced from 21 days to14 days, official sources informed the Excelsior.
To avoid any controversy this time and make the system fool proof, the Directorate of Health Jammu is incorporating all the specifications under National Ambulance Code by the Government of India for international level services in the tenders for Critical Care Ambulances, sources added.
Speeding up things, sources further said, the order to successful bidder is likely to be placed by ending January and the Directorate is expected to start receiving the Critical Care Ambulances after fabrication of vehicles by first week of March.
As already reported by the Excelsior, the Government a few months back had cancelled the agreement finalized with a Himachal Pradesh based private firm that was allotted the tender for fabrication of vehicles as Critical Care Ambulances. The agreement was cancelled on the recommendation of a departmental committee into the complaints against alleged irregularities in the rate contract with the successful bidder resulting that even after the passage of more than one and half year since procurement of 25 vehicles for their modification as Critical Care Ambulances, the proposal in this regard could not take practical shape. Out of these 25 vehicles, 12 were meant for Jammu and 13 for Kashmir.
The previous order was placed to the firm in 2012 and the Administrative Department had cancelled the agreement a few months back after taking technical opinion of the Finance Department.
To avoid any fresh controversy, sources said that the Directorate of Health Jammu on the special instructions of the Minister of Health Shabir Ahmed Khan is strictly adhering to the National Ambulance Code for inviting the tenders.
Under this code, international level services with improvised equipments in the ambulances are required to be provided for safety and comfort of the patients. As per National Ambulance Code, there are more than 15 major specifications, which include ABS material fabrication, foldable stretcher with no jerk, evacuator, ventilator, shock absorber equipments, well insulated and Air Conditioned vehicle etc, sources explained.
Besides, several detailed recommendations of the Union Ministry of Surface Transport are also being incorporated in the conditions to be fulfilled while fabricating the vehicles into Critical Care Ambulances by the successful bidders, sources further said.
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